Despite rise in prices, which has forced them to rework their household budgets, women in the city still prefer the ruling Congress over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the Hindustan Times-C fore Survey, 37% women respondents chose the Congress over the main Opposition party
— which has made the rising prices, especially those of onions, one of its main poll planks. The percentage of men who did not care for incumbency to give the ruling Congress another go at administering the national Capital stood at 31%.

The city has 58.5 lakh women voters and 63 lakh male voters, as per Delhi’s chief electoral officer’s office.

Women had been the focus of the Delhi government’s several social welfare schemes, launched in the run-up to the assembly elections. A women safety helpine, 181, direct transfer of money to the account of the woman head of the family under the Annashree scheme and the increase in pension amount for women.

The main Opposition party, the BJP, has a slight edge over the Congress among the male voters. As many as 34% male respondents chose the BJP while only 30% women showed support for the party.

The newly-launched Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had the support of 22% male and 20% female respondents.

“Both the Delhi chief minister and the UPA chairperson are women. And they are important figures in the party. This is why women voters preferred the Congress over the BJP,” said sociologist, Dipankar Gupta.